Anchorage and Fairbanks both can be balmy when Northern Wisconsin has minus 30F. During an average winter we can be considerably colder than many parts of Alaska or Finland for that matter.....not like its some kind of competition ;) . My point remains that latitudes mean little when comparing weather patterns.

Northern Minnesota gets even colder. And then we have the UP of Michigan.....well we don't have to go there now do we? Actually we'll be heading that way soon 8-)

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"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

:deadhorse: Not sure what it is you're looking for or where you're going with all this, but you win Finski.

You're right dude! -97F is much colder than we've ever gotten as long as I've been around Northern Wisconsin. -42 is our coldest recorded...that particular spell (staying well below zero F) lasted for over 2 weeks...only :-D went through a lot of wood that month.

So Finski.................What's the point of all this tit for tat you seem to enjoy so much anyway? Psychologically speaking, it seems pretty clear that its a repetitive, excruciatingly redundant, mean spirited and obviously fear based behavior. Alas, to be completely honest I'm not sure why I allow you to suck me into this madness all the time, but I'm learning :shock:

"A cave is indeed a very dark place" :)

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"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

Well. The British beekeepers remind me often that British weather is different than Finnish weather. That is very new to me. I am good friend with British beekeepers but the best in friendship is the 2000 km distance which separates us. I have told to them too, that their beekeeping is very same as Finnish, but they are 50 years behind us. - They just love that idea..

A Finnish National Hive 50 years ago. No one use them any more, because hive has no room enough to modern queens.

Yikes!!! I actually read the whole thread :shock: I am still wondering about wintering LOL!!! My basic prep is to wrap as the op mentioned with felt paper Not a good idea? Has worked moderately well in the past.... I put a 2" spacer on the top brood box.. paper/sugar.. Inner cover on top of the spacer, flipped so notch is down to provide upper entrance and ventilation. (1" by 3/8 notch in front) 2" foam on top of that cut to fit the hive, and the telescoping cover strapped down on top of that because of the wind here... The foam spaces the cover up enough to allow free access to the 1" notch.

Moderate losses.. usually not because of wet. Only gets to about -20 (f) here for about two or three weeks during a normal winter. Bigger problem is blowing snow on a moment to moment basis filling in the bottom entrance... hence the flipped inner cover for top emergency entrance/exit... so can we get back to wintering now?? What do yall do?

I am still wondering about wintering LOL!!! My basic prep is to wrap as the op mentioned with felt paper Not a good idea? Has worked moderately well in the past....

I do winter some wood hives and some do survive, but when I started to do nucs I realized it was really time to ditch the wood and go to foam. I wintered about a dozen 4 frame medium nucs last winter in foam. That size of colony won’t survive in wood boxes in Michigan.